Purchase to Pay is simple – so why is it so difficult?

P2P is simple but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. This is evident when you see the extent to which many businesses have failed to implement purchase to pay technologies effectively. I see it all the time but only last month, Hackett – authorities on P2P published their 2015 procurement priorities report which supports this observation. (I describe why in this post.)

So what do I mean when I say that P2P is simple but not easy? Watch this video – you’ll need the sound on – it explains what I mean.

So, P2P isn’t easy – and don’t believe anyone who says it is. The concepts are simple – simple to explain and simple to understand – but applying P2P principles in the real world is complex. It requires effort but the rewards can be far greater than the business case would predict. Getting P2P right can transform a business far beyond the standard P2P KPIs.

On 23rd April 2015, I’ll be launching a new White Paper “Transformational Purchase to Pay – taking P2P to the next level”. We’ll be celebrating the launch by hosting a breakfast briefing at The Ritz Hotel in London.

Great points and love the visual aids. I agree that all-in-one P2P automation systems will not be able to handle the complexity and nuances in the most streamlined way. What is your opinion or experience with tools that specialize in streamlining specific aspects of the P2P process? Can they achieve the automation needs while remaining efficient and effective?